Born: February 26, 1932 Kingsland,
Arkansas
Died: September 12, 2003 Nashville,
Tennessee
Johnny Cash was the fourth of seven
children born to Ray and Carrie Cash. Johnny was named J.R. Cash
because his parents could not think of a proper name. When he
enlisted in the Air Force He began to use the name John R. Cash
because they would not let him use initials for his name. It wasn't
until he signed with Sun Records in 1955 that He took Johnny Cash as
his stage name.
Johnny grew up very poor. Working in
the cotton fields of Arkansas at age five. His early childhood
musical influences were shaped while singing gospel music along side
his family while in the fields. Growing up in the Great Depression
would inspire many of his future songs. Johnny learned the guitar
from his mother and began playing and writing songs at age twelve.
Cash enlisted in the AirForce in 1950.
After basic training, Johnny was stationed in Germany as a Morse Code
Intercept Operator for Soviet Army transmissions. He created his
first band while stationed there. They called themselves “The
Landsberg Barbarians”. Cash received an honorable discharge as a
Staff Sergeant on July third 1954.
Cash returned to Texas and married
Vivian Liberto, a young woman johnny had corresponded with while
stationed in Germany. They had four children together: Rosanne,
Kathy, Cindy and Tara. Liberto and Cash divorced in 1966. Liberto
cited Cash's drinking womanizing and drug abuse as the reasons.
Johnny met June Carter in 1955
backstage at the Grand Ole Opry. In 1968 Cash proposed to Carter
during a live show in Canada. The couple were married on March 1,
1968 in Kentucky. They had one child, John Carter Cash. Johnny and
June continued to work together for 35 years. June died in 2003.
Johnny passed only four months later.
Johnny Cash was a pioneer of Rockabilly
and Rock and Roll. He was as bad a badass that ever walked. His
antics on and off the stage earned him the status of living legend
and alternative country icon in the 1990's. In his life, Johnny Cash
wrote over 1000 songs and released dozens of albums. Cash received
the Grammy lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.Rolling Stone
posthumously honored Cash with a ranking on their “100 Greatest
Artists of All Time” list.
